Methods and devices for triggering an action on a mobile device upon detection of a stop period of the mobile device in a given place

A method for determining a stop period of a mobile device in geographical locations, according to geolocation data related to the mobile device, and for triggering an action accordingly, the method being executed by the mobile device and comprising:

• (a) during a first step, determining a predicted position of the mobile device by executing a position prediction filtering process on the geolocation data, the predicted position of the mobile device being determined according to a filtered position obtained using a discrete-time Kalman Filter with the geolocation data and a first position related to the mobile device, wherein the first position is:
• either a current position of the mobile device if it is possible to obtain the current position from the geolocation data;
• or
• if the current position of the mobile device is not available from the geolocation data, an artificial position of the mobile device corresponding to a last received position of the mobile device available from the geolocation data;
• (b) during a second step,
• determining a normalized prediction error according to a difference between the predicted position and the first position;
• and
• when the normalized prediction error is smaller than a prediction error threshold, generating a stop message to indicate that the stop period is starting, wherein the prediction error threshold is adapted to one of a plurality of different geographical scales at which stop periods are to be identified;
• and
• (c) during a third step, triggering an action on the mobile device, according to the stop message.